Three main nutrients needed for our bodies are the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. But they are not the only important substances that keep us alive. There are also vitamins and minerals, so-called micronutrients, which are indispensable to our health.
Approximately 96% of the human body consists of the four basic elements, namely oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen, while the remaining 4% consists of minerals. There are around 30 types of minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper and others, and each of them has different function. It is well known, for instance, that calcium is not only necessary for bone formation, but is also needed for muscle contraction and transmission of impulses between nerves. Iron creates hemoglobin and plays an important role as a carrier of blood oxygen.

Taking only one type of mineral in large dosages is not healthy.
Since the minerals influence each other, it is important to take many minerals in the proper amount.

While vitamin deficiency used to be a serious problem in Japan a couple of years ago, nowadays it occurs quite rarely. Rather than that, mineral deficiency has become a serious issue. You may ask, why is that? One of the reasons is the fact, that salt and sugar, which used to contain a large amount of minerals, are mainly used in their refined form. Once they are refined, the original mineral content is lost in the refining process. This is also the case with cereals such as rice and wheat, which lose their minerals due to the high degree of polishing. As a matter of fact, since 1971, the year when the traditional salt production method in Japan using salt fields was abolished, there has been an increase of such habitual diseases as high blood pressure, according to the statistics. Moreover, it is believed, that since we have started eating processed food more than ever before, excess or deficiency of each individual mineral may easily occur and the number of people who suffer from damaged internal mineral balance is increasing.

As far as the mineral deficiency in the diet of Japanese people is concerned, attention has been paid mainly to the calcium deficiency. However, in reality it has become clear that even more than calcium, it is magnesium that has the tendency to be lacking in our diet. Magnesium supports and controls functioning of more than 300 types of enzymes inside the human body. Moreover, it is a mineral important for the formation of bones and teeth and it also plays an important role in keeping the blood circulation in optimal condition. For that reason, the lack of magnesium may cause health troubles.

Intake of magnesium from meat as is the case with a Western diet is not sufficient and taking excessive amounts of phosphoric acid contained in processed food and carbonated drinks can even cause decrease of magnesium content. Besides, magnesium is a mineral whose deficiency may be triggered by heavy alcohol drinking. Furthermore, magnesium has a tendency to decrease when one is exposed to stress. When a person is exposed to stress, an excessive amount of the hormone called adrenaline is produced and may destroy mineral balance, causing an outflow of magnesium from the body. Therefore, it can be said that modern people who work in big cities possess several factors that may cause their problems with magnesium deficiency. Have you realized now that you should be careful to take a sufficient amount of magnesium more than calcium and how important magnesium is to keep our bodies healthy?